Jacqueline Donachie, Ben Sadler, Graham Parker, Matthew Thompson: Walkabout

Walkabout was a series of artists’ walks inspired by the local area.

Jacqueline Donachie’s A Walk for Greville Verney was the first, and celebrated the life of the last of the well-known Warwickshire family to live at Compton Verney. The walk was led by a 20-strong Irish pipe band, actors from the Kineton Theatre group, and a team of horses and riders, each representing aspects of his life and passions.

Next came a concert to launch the release of a CD, circa’88: the culmination of an eight-month collaboration between artist Ben Sadler and a group of students from the music department of Kineton High School. The students created songs inspired by particular landmarks and meeting places in Kineton, reflecting their attitude and relationship to their surroundings.

Graham Parker’s Line and Length invited people to walk the Compton Verney estate. The walk was mapped by following the route of an 18-hole golf course, complete with golf flags and tee markers. The artist worked with a professional golf course designer to re-model the land and provide a contemporary commentary on the ‘Capability’ Brown parkland. Visitors were able to explore new views and vistas and imagine the impact of a golf course upon the landscape.

The final walk in the series, conceived by artist Matthew Thompson, involved a re-staging of the American composer John Cage’s most influential score ‘4’ 33’’‘ (four minutes and thirty three seconds of silence). The artist worked with five members of the Radway bell-ringers to choreograph the performance. Thompson’s walk began from the top of Edge Hill, from where the walkers were summoned to St Peter’s Church, Radway by the ringing of the tenor bell.

The series ended with a talk and film-screening at Tysoe Village Hall, where artists Jacqueline Donachie, Patrick Keiller and Graeme Miller talked about past and present projects relating to walking and the changing urban and rural landscape. The talk was chaired by Andrea Philips.

The walks series received a Regional Arts Lottery Award.